


You'll always feel like home

by KaskardenFluvia



Series: Burning Cities [2]
Category: Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Great Fire of London, Historical Inaccuracy, Historical References, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Angst, Sappy idiots in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 00:58:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16378358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaskardenFluvia/pseuds/KaskardenFluvia
Summary: “London is the first city I’ve felt at home in since Jerusalem.” Aziraphale murmured. “I guess I just don’t want it to change.”***Set in London, 1666





	You'll always feel like home

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this fic was solely inspired by a quote from [mirawonderfulstar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirawonderfulstar/pseuds/mirawonderfulstar) 's ["Is That All There Is? (St Paul's Survives)"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16242980) which I highly recommend because it is freaking amazing.  
> The quote: "[...]all of London was burning for the second time since Aziraphale had lived there [...]"  
> I just really wanted to write something concerning the first time.

 “Angel, come on!” Crowley shouted, dragging Aziraphale down the narrow street.

“No, I have to stay!” The angel shouted, digging his heels into the soft ground of the street. He ripped his hand out of Crowley’s grip and immediately started running up the street again. Back to where the fire war roaring, a terrible, insatiable beast, getting stronger with every little piece of the city it devoured.

Crowley sprinted after Aziraphale, catching the angel before he could round the corner. He slung his arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly.

“I have to save them!”, Aziraphale shouted, desperately trying to wiggle himself out of Crowley’s embrace, but the demon had no intention of letting him run off a second time. He knew fully well that if he let Aziraphale go now, he might never see him again. The thought made him shiver, despite the massive amount of heat radiating off the fire. They were only two or three blocks away from where the fire was eating its way through the wooden frames of the houses.

“Angel, it’s too late.”, he whispered in Aziraphale’s ear, but he shook his head violently, trying to pry Crowley’s arms apart with incredible strength.

“Just let me go.” He demanded angrily, digging his fingers into Crowley’s exposed wrists, his sharp nails biting into his skin and sending a sharp pain through his arms.

“No.” Crowely growled. He struggled to pull Aziraphale back, who started thrashing wildly, hitting Crowley in the chest and kicking his shins. He lifted the angel of his feet with a grunt, hauling him back a few steps before Aziraphale managed to get his feet back on the ground. His heels left deep ridges in the street as Crowley continued to drag him backwards.

“Let me go!”, Aziraphale cried hysterically, his voice cracking. He scratched Crowley’s hand, drawing blood. The demon hissed, hauled him off his feet again and slammed his back into the wall of the house next to them, the wood cracking from the impact.

“You can’t help them, Aziraphale!” Crowley screamed in his face. The angel’s eyes were open wide, a terrified look on his face that made him feel incredibly guilty incredibly fast. He panted heavily, releasing his grip on Aziraphale ever so slightly.

“I’m sorry for hurting you.” He said, trying to sound calm even though his heart was still racing. “But there is nothing you can do to help.”

Aziraphale only stared at him, his eyes blazing with fury. The expression made Crowley’s insides turn to ice.

“Is it one of yours then?” The angel asked, his voice frighteningly hollow.

“What?” Crowley asked, taken aback by the sudden question.

“The fire. Is that why you don’t want me to interfere? Because it was your idea? It certainly fits in nicely with the calendar.” Aziraphale said, tone accusing. “I thought we had an arrangement. Didn’t we agree to tell each other-“

He was cut off by Crowley’s frantically shaking his head.

“No.” He breathed, further loosening his grip. “I…I know how much love this city. And I lo-“ He bit down on his lip, his throat tightening. “I would never do anything to hurt you like this.”

Aziraphale mustered him, his eyes moving around frantically. Finally, the anger vanished from his eyes, his expression growing soft again.

“There has to be something I can do.” He choked out. Crowley hesitantly moved one of his hands to gently cup his cheek. Aziraphale tensed but he didn’t push him away.

“I’m so sorry, angel, it’s too late. The fire has spread too far. Even _you_ won’t be able to stop it now.” He whispered. Aziraphale closed his eyes, leaning into Crowley’s touch for just second, before carefully removing Crowley’s hand from his face. When he opened his eyes again they were filled with tears.

“How many Crowley?” He asked, sounding extremely tired all of a sudden. “How many cities do I have to watch burn down to cinders? Jerusalem, Rome and now London? I…I don’t know if I can take this anymore. I’m so sick of seeing houses being devoured by flames. Sometimes I think I ought to go back to heaven.” He trailed off, eyes staring into the distance.

Crowley felt his heart rate accelerating again. The thought that Aziraphale might leave earth, essentially leaving him behind filled him with dread. The angel was the only constant in his life, the only thing that hadn’t really changed in his over five millennia on earth, something he could always fall back on when the world started going too fast. He was certain that he would never survive without him. His throat went tight again, and he blessed himself for not being able to tell Aziraphale how he really felt.

“I don’t know.” He said instead, drawing in a shaky breath. “I just know that everything will be fine.” His body ached with the need to pull Aziraphale close to him, to hold him until this whole nightmare was over, but he kept his trembling hands close to his own body.

“I wish I had your faith, my dear.” Aziraphale muttered and chuckled dryly when he realised the irony of what he’d said.

“It’s not faith. It’s something _you_ told me once.” Crowley said, glancing up at the sky, the smoke hanging over the city obscuring the stars.

“When?” Aziraphale asked and Crowley curled his lips into a smile.

“On the 19th of July. 64 AC.” He answered and looked down at him again.

“Rome.” Aziraphale said knowingly and Crowley nodded, still smiling. “You loved that city.”

“I did.” Crowley confirmed. “I really did. And when I saw it burning it nearly broke my heart.”

“You were absolutely _hysterical._ You wanted me to help you kill Nero.” Aziraphale added, chuckling slightly, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“I was.” Crowley said and nodded again. “But do you remember what you told me? You said: ‘They are going to rebuild it, you’ll see. And it’s going to be grander than ever before. Everything will be fine.’”

“Eventually.” Aziraphale sighed, recognising his own words. He pushed himself off the wall, turning slightly to stare at the dark skyline of the city, stark against the orange glow of the fire.

“This is the first city I’ve felt at home in since Jerusalem.” He murmured. “I guess I just don’t want it to change.”

“I know.” Crowley answered, turning as well to watch the burning city. “I’m not particularly fond of change either but that’s what we signed up for when we took this job, didn’t we?”

“At least I’ll always have you.” Aziraphale said and Crowley turned to him in surprise. The angel was fondly smiling up at him.

“I can always fall back on you when the world is going too fast. You will always feel like home to me.” He added sincerely, his cheeks tinted slightly pink.

Crowley turned away again, his breath caught in his throat, unable to say anything.

“I love you.” He finally breathed, his voice almost inaudible over the roar of the nearing fire. Aziraphale took one of his trembling hands, lacing their finger together.

“I know, my dear. I love you too.” He answered quietly.

They stayed standing in the street, even as the fire burned the houses in the street, holding hand as the world changed around them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! I certainly loved writing it. I'm just a sucker for Crowley being unable to say anything about his feelings.  
> Also, tiny bit of meta(?) that might make you cry: I always interpreted Aziraphale giving Adam and Eve his flaming sword as giving humans the gift of fire, so he probably feels super guilty everytime a city is burned down.  
> Oh, and I did like 20 minutes of research for this, so it might not be historically accurate at all. Shoutout to the person that made the "List of town and city fires" on wikipedia though
> 
> (Oh and I might write something concerning that Rome incident, but I won't promise anything)


End file.
